Trusting

8/1 Streams in the Desert

Offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life. Romans 6:13

One night I went to hear a sermon on consecration. Nothing special came to me from the message, but as the preacher knelt to pray, he said, "O Lord, You know we can trust the Man who died for us." That was the message. As I rose from my knees and walked down the street to catch the train, I deeply pondered all the consecration would mean to my life. I was afraid as I considered the personal cost, and suddenly, above the noise of the street traffic, came this message, "You can trust the Man who died for you." I boarded the train, and as I traveled toward home, I thought of the changes, sacrifices and disappointments that consecration might mean in my life -- and I was still afraid.

Upon arriving home, I went straight to my room, fell on my knees, and saw my life pass before my eyes. I was a Christian, an officer in the church, and a Sunday school superintendent, but I had never yielded my life to God with a definite act of my will. Yet as I thought of my own "precious" plans that might be thwarted, my beloved hopes to be surrendered and my chosen profession that I might have to abandon -- I was afraid.

I completely failed to see that better things God had for me, so my soul was running from Him. And then for the last time, with a swift force of convicting power to my inmost heart, came that searching message, "My child, you can trust the Man who died for you. If you cannot trust Him, then whom can you trust?" Finally that settled it for me, for in a flash of light I realized that the Man who loved me enough to die for me could be absolutely trusted with the total concerns of the life He had saved.

Dear friend, you can trust the Man who died for you. You can trust Him to thwart each plan that should be stopped and to complete each on that results in His greatest glory and you highest good. You can trust Him to lead you down the path that is very best in the world for you. J.H.M.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown,
Has broken every barrier down,
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine ALONE,
O Lamb of God, I come!

Life is not wreckage to be saved out of the world but an investment to be used in the world.
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I write this today because it was such a word to me from the Lord this morning! I, too, am guilty of not yielding the plans of my life to God with a definite act of my will. What a tragedy. What a terrible way to live!

It is too easy to get caught up in the circumstances of life, grow weary and pitty yourself. I have even felt at times that God was holding out on me. But, God has so much more in store. That doesn't mean that I like some of my circumstances. In fact, He wants us to be honest about how we feel in prayer -- He knows it anyway. I think I forget just how BIG God really is. And praise Him that He is!!

Lord, help me to yeild my life to You with a definite act of my will -- so that I may see the better things You have in store for me!

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-20